Janssen Ordered to Pay $1.64B Over HIV Drug Marketing Violations

A New Jersey federal court has ordered Johnson & Johnson's subsidiary, Janssen, to pay $1.64 billion for unlawfully promoting the HIV drugs Prezista and Intelence, following a jury's verdict in a whistleblower lawsuit. The penalties include $360 million for violating the False Claims Act and $1.28 billion in civil fines for submitting 159,574 false claims to federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The court dismissed a $30 million award related to state law violations due to insufficient evidence. Janssen plans to appeal the ruling, arguing the trial was flawed by insufficient proof and incorrect jury instructions. The plaintiffs, former sales representatives, alleged Janssen promoted off-label uses and paid kickbacks to doctors, although the jury did not find Janssen liable for the kickback claims. The ruling highlights ongoing scrutiny of pharmaceutical marketing practices and their implications for public health funding.